Working with Key Results

This section dives deep into the Key Result (KR) page, your one-stop shop for tracking progress, making adjustments, and understanding your KR's journey. Let's explore its key features and how to use them effectively.

Key Result Page Features

Progress chart

Open

See your progress unfold visually with this chart. Each dot, representing an update, reveals the exact value, status, and date when you hover over it. You can even adjust the start and target values based on your progress.

Info area and the description

Open

You can view and edit all information about your key result in the Info area. Once the KR is closed, a "Closed" label will appear at the top of the info area, and the grade you selected will be added to the other information.

Status changes and Activity

Comments

Comments allow you to bring the discussion on the OKR’s status right to the tool. To start commenting, click the + New comment button on an update made to a Key Result. Then, add a comment in the text field below the original update. You can also @mention people from your Jira in the comments. After saving the comment, you will see options to reply, edit, or delete your comment. Users can respond to each other's comments, but only the author of a comment can edit or delete it.

When someone sends a comment, the involved users will receive an email notification. Each user can decide what kind of information they’d like to receive. To manage what type of notifications you’d like to receive, go to Settings > Notifications.

Alignment

Alignment shows the key result’s connections to all other OKRs it is associated with. It allows you to view the parent objective it contributes to and the links established with other OKRs in the app.

• Dependencies – Here, you can see all OKRs linked to the current one via a dependency link, and view basic progress data for each linked OKR. Two types of dependency links exist:
  Blocks: OKR A impedes the progress of OKR B.
  Blocked by: OKR B's progress is blocked by OKR A.
  Dependency links are bi-directional, meaning adding a link from OKR A to OKR B also creates a link from OKR B to OKR A. To create a dependency, go to the Dependencies tab and click the Link menu > Dependency. Then, select the link type and the target OKR, and click the Link button to save.

  Using the three-dot menu, you can update the OKR’s status or unlink it.

• Contributions – Here, you can see all OKRs linked to the current one via a contribution link. Contribution links, which are also bi-directional, show OKRs that support each other even if they're not in a direct hierarchy. Two types of contribution links exist:
  Supports: OKR A contributes to the progress of OKR B.
  Supported by: OKR B's progress is supported by OKR A.
  To create a contribution, go to the Contributions tab and click the Link menu > Contribution. Then, select the contribution type and the target OKR, and click the Link button to save.

  Using the three-dot menu, you can update the OKR’s status or unlink it.

• Copies – If applicable, here you can see the OKR from which the current one was copied. It also displays all OKRs that are copies of the current one (if any).

  These links are automatically created during the copy process, and you can update an OKR's status or unlink it using the three-dot menu.

Issues connected to the objective's KRs

How to update the progress or status of a KR

We recommend updating the KR status regularly, either weekly or monthly, to keep OKRs in mind while carrying out daily tasks. The Status changes section will be useful during OKR review meetings and in preparing any OKR-related reports. Here's how to update:

1. Go to the KR page and click the Update button. This will open the Key Result update screen.

2. Select a date. By default, the date is set to today, but you can change it to a past date and/or time.

3. Choose the current status of the KR. You should see a previous status underneath.

4. Change the value, which is the number shown on the progress chart after you post the update. You should see a previous value underneath.

5. Write a short description of the progress done and add any information that might be relevant to others.

6. Click Submit.

Your update should appear in the Status changes section, and both the current value and the percent of progress will be updated in all places containing this information.

Updating from the ‘Not started’ status

When changing a KR's status from "Not Started," a dialog box will ask if you want to also update its parent objective. This feature is helpful for quickly starting related objectives, especially when updating multiple KRs at once.

Choosing "Yes" will:

• Open a separate dialog for the parent objective with the same status and description you selected for the KR.

• Offer the option to apply the selected status to all parent objectives (hierarchy depending).

Example:

You update multiple KRs under the objective "Increase website traffic." By choosing "Yes" at the KR prompt, you can quickly start the "Increase website traffic" objective itself and potentially all its higher-level objectives in one go.

How to close a key result

Closing a KR signifies that you've completed the work or decided to pause it indefinitely. While closed, the KR's progress still contributes to its parent objective, but it becomes less prominent in the main view and cannot be updated until reopened. There are two methods for closing a key result, and here are the steps:

1. Access the Close the key result screen:

   • Navigate to the KR's page, locate the three-dot menu (top right), and select Close. Close the key result screen will open.

   • Go to the key result on the Overview page, click the three-dot icon next to it, and click Post an update. The Key Result update screen will open. Select Close & grade to open the Close the key result screen.

2. Select the most appropriate status from the following options: Success, Incomplete, Failed, Cancelled, or Rescheduled.

3. Briefly explain the reason behind closing the KR, keeping others informed about your decision.

4. Assign a grade on a 0-1 scale reflecting achievement level. Here's a general guideline:

   • 0: No progress made.

   • 0.3-0.5: Minor progress achieved.

   • 0.6-0.9: Nearing the target, but not quite there.

   • 1: Goal fully achieved.
     Note: The suggested grade is based on progress. Feel free to use your own grading scale if applicable.

5. Click Close key result to finalize the process.